Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,336 in Barcelona versus $1,151 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,475 in Barcelona versus $1,736 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,614 in Barcelona versus $2,322 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 103% more expensive than Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is 14% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.45 €14.88
$9.36 ₽702
86.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.8 €59.6
$38.30 ₽2,874
82.35%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.91 €11.86
$5.81 ₽436
139.41%
Cappuccino
$2.74 €2.34
$2.27 ₽170
20.70%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.70 €2.30
$1.08 ₽81.0
150.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 €1.73
$0.48 ₽35.88
322.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.51 €3.85
$1.36 ₽102
231.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.61 €3.93
$2.52 ₽189
82.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.28 €1.09
$2.12 ₽159
-39.62%
White Bread (500g)
$2.10 €1.79
$0.99 ₽74.6
112.12%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.99 €1.70
$1.43 ₽107
39.16%
Eggs
$3.45 €2.95
$2.86 ₽215
20.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$18.61 €15.87
$11.79 ₽884
57.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.41 €8.03
$6.20 ₽466
51.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.70 €15.95
$10.84 ₽813
72.51%
Apples (1kg)
$2.61 €2.22
$3.14 ₽235
-16.88%
Banana (1kg)
$2.39 €2.04
$3.46 ₽260
-30.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 €1.86
$4.18 ₽314
-47.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.81 €2.40
$4.78 ₽359
-41.21%
Potato (1kg)
$2.03 €1.73
$1.00 ₽74.7
103.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.87 €1.60
$0.98 ₽73.9
90.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 €1.24
$1.68 ₽126
-13.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.92 €0.79
$0.91 ₽67.9
1.10%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.82 €5.82
$2.99 ₽225
128.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.71 €6.58
$9.44 ₽708
-18.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.38 €1.18
$1.02 ₽76.5
35.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33 €1.99
$1.84 ₽138
26.63%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.88 €2.46
$0.43 ₽32.22
569.77%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.04 €24.77
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.43 €3.78
$1.87 ₽140
136.90%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.14 €1.82
$0.55 ₽40.91
289.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.96 €24.71
$6.48 ₽486
346.91%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.90 €1.62
$0.76 ₽57.4
150.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.9K €32.3K
$33.8K ₽2.5M
12.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.3K €28.4K
$23.3K ₽1.7M
43.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$186 €158
$173 ₽13.0K
7.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.17 €18.91
$8.01 ₽601
176.78%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$36.52 €31.15
$13.18 ₽989
177.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.4 €49.81
$57.7 ₽4,326
1.28%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.75 €17.70
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.10 €9.47
$5.91 ₽443
87.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$705 €601
$320 ₽24.0K
120.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.2K €13.0K
$7,074 ₽530.8K
115.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.4 €73.7
$69.0 ₽5,174
25.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.88 €31.46
$44.75 ₽3,358
-17.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €88.8
$114 ₽8,565
-8.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115 €98.4
$95.2 ₽7,143
21.21%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,538 €1,312
$449 ₽33.7K
242.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,242 €1,060
$305 ₽22.9K
306.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,728 €2,327
$747 ₽56.1K
265.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,011 €1,716
$518 ₽38.9K
288.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,155 €6,104
$4,063 ₽304.9K
76.12%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,843 €4,131
$2,366 ₽177.5K
104.69%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,474 €2,111
$1,138 ₽85.4K
117.42%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.39
14.67
-76.89%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Barcelona: April 19, 2026

Last update for Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,538 in Barcelona and $449 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 117% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $70 in Barcelona vs $38 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $274 per month, with Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Barcelona vs Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk?
Barcelona and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk differ by about 103% in total monthly costs ($2,336 vs $1,151 including rent). Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Barcelona or Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk?
Barcelona pays 117% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,538 in Barcelona versus $449 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk?
Childcare runs $705 in Barcelona versus $320 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,151 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk versus $2,336 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Barcelona or Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Barcelona or Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk?
Expats usually find Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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